PLATE 13
Vol. 11.
PLATE 14
VoL 11.
PLATE 15
Vol. 11.
ORIGINAL MONOGRAM. — H. W. S
Explained on page 58.
SIDE-BAR BUGGY.— £ in. scale.
Designed expressly for the New York Coach-maker's Magazine.
Explained on page 56.
PLATE 16
VoUll
IMPROVED CUTTER SLEIGH. — \ in. scale
Designed expressly for the New York Coach-maker's Magazine
Explained on page 56.
SIX-SEATED FAMILY SLEIGH. — £ in. scale.
Designed expressly for the New York Coach-maker's Magazine.
Explained on page 56.
DEVOTED TO THE LITERARY, SOCIAL, AND MECHANICAL INTERESTS OF THE CRAFT.
Vol. XI.
1NTEW YORK, SEPTEMBER, 1869.
Jpiierataw.
THE ADVENTURES OF THREE JOURS.
BY H. S. WILLIAMS.
CHAPTER IV.
Gloner. had been to work bub a few days ere Christ-
mas eve came. As he was putting up his tools prior to
quitting for the day, Mr. Hardy came in and exclaimed,
" Well, to-morrow is Christmas again ; of course you will
follow the time honored custom of the South, and not
work any more until after New Year's ; the holidays are
our great season of festivity, and here's a fifty for you,
as you may need a little change in the meantime."
" But, my dear sir," replied Gloner, " that is more
than I have earned ; besides, I have money enough to meet
all necessary expenses."
" Oh, well," returned Hardy, " that makes no differ-
ence, fifty paid now, will be fifty less to pay on settling
day," and he forced the bill upon him. " You see," he
continued, " we are a generous sort of people down here,
all the reports you may have heard to the contrary not-
withstanding ; I have just served Loring the same way,
and have invited him to a social party at my house to-
night, and should be pleased to see you too ; you will
there see how we manage to usher in the holidays, which
is a little different from Northern customs. Of course you
will come, the fact of your being a stranger makes no
difference. You see here we take every man to be a
gentleman until he proves himself a rascal ; in some
localities they take every stranger to be a rascal until he
pi-oves himself a gentleman. So come round tonight,
and I think that to-morrow you will say Mobile is about
the best city, socially speaking, that you ever saw."
"I thank you for your kindness," replied Gloner,
" and if Loring is agreeable I shall be only too pleased
to accept your invitation."
" No more work for a week ; glorious times here for
a cub, hey 1 why my boss always used to begrudge me
Christmas day, and I always worked on New Year's,"
said Loring, as a few minutes later they gained the
street. " And, by the way, Hardy invited you to his
' social gathering ' as he called it, to-night, of course."
Vol. xi.—7 .
" Yes, he gave me an invitation."
" And you propose going % "
"Yes, 1 have come to that conclusion if agreeable to
you."
" Of course I want to go; these evenings are getting
rather lonesome, and it would relieve the monotony of
our boarding house wonderfully to have a pleasant place
to pass an evening at now and then, and a good looking
girl to talk to. So, as Margrave would say, if he was
here, ' let us not stand upon the order of going, but go
at once,' and as a preliminary step we will 'to the
barber with our beard ' as the fellow said in Hamlet
the other night."
After their supper, and a most elaborate toilet on
the part of Loring, they proceeeded slowly up Govern-
ment street, towards Mr. Hardy's residence. Through
the assistance and superior taste of Loring, Gloner pre-
sented a very presentable appearance. As their names
were announced by the black servant at the door, in
stentorian tones, they were met by Mr. Hardy, who
exclaimed, "glad to see you both, and as you are about
the only strangers present, we will make the circuit of
the rooms and introduce you." Your true Southerner is
great on introductions, and he will introduce you at all
times and places, to all kinds and manner of persons,
and during the next half hour Gloner and Loring had
made more bows and shook more hands than they had
ever done in a month before ; in fact Gloner's hands ached,
and all the names that he had heard, from the famous
Smith family down to Thompson with a P in it, were so
sadly confused and jumbled up in his head, that he really
could not name a single person in the company five
minutes afterwards. Just then some one cried out,
" Gentlemen secure your ladies for a quadrille," and at
the same time the band, consisting of two violins and a
banjo in the hands of three primp young darkies, struck
up the prelude, for which Gloner mentally blessed them.
It so happened that Loring was introduced to a very
handsome young lady at the same time, whom he imme-
diately secured for a partner, while Gloner's last intro-
duction was to a middle aged gentleman, who immedi-
ately commenced talking on the past, present and future
state of the country, and as Gloner had no great taste
for dancing, he willingly adjourned to a corner and de-
voted a couple of hours to the political situation.
In the meantime, Loring, who was, in truth, a most
50
THE NEW YORK COACH-MAKER'S MAGAZINE.
September,
excellent dancer, was enjoying himself finely, and was
fast ingratiating himself in the good graces of the ladies,
as well as making himself a general favorite with the
gentlemen.
Gloner and the gentleman with whom he was talking
had undoubtedly settled everything of a political nature
satisfactorily, for he had just turned to leave, when Mr.
Hardy came up, and seizing him by the arm, exclaimed,
" Why Gloner, my dear sir, why don't you dance? You
don't seem to enjoy yourself, it is a dull place for you I
fear, but come, I want to introduce you to a lady friend
of mine, none of your city belles but a plain country
girl and as pretty as a Venus, come this way ; " and be-
fore Gloner could say a word he found himself on the op-
posite side of the room.
" Miss Linden, allow me to present a friend of mine,
Mr. Gloner. Mr. Gloner, Miss Linden—Lucy I always
call her, and I know you will admire each other ; " and
as Gloner raised his eyes to the fair young face before
him, his surprise was only equalled by the pleasure he
felt in beholding his vis-a-vis of the supper table in his
trip from New Orleans.
" Miss Linden," he said, bowing low." I am really
pleased to make your acquaintance, for this is not the
first time we have met, as I trust you may remember."
For a moment she hesitated as though recalling the
past, and then replied, " I do remember now, we were
fellow passengers on the Oregon a week since."
" Exactly," he returned, " and I need not tell you
that fortune has favored me by this introduction. I am
far from being an impulsive person, and I have met thou-
sands of fair young faces without bestowing a second
thought upon them ; yet, believe me, when I say that I
have wished many times to look upon yours again."
"I fear Mr. Gloner," she replied with a smile, " that
you are an adept in the universal accomplishment of your
sex, namely, flattery." " Then I regret that I have spoken
so plainly," he answered, "for the only accomplishments
which I can boast when addressing a lady, are sincerity
and truth. Do you dance in this set ? " "1 am not en-
gaged for it," she answered, " and would prefer resting,
as 1 fear I have already over-exerted myself, as my health
is rather delicate."
" The very favor I would have asked of you, and if
agreeable we will escape this noise and excitement, for
one could find but little rest here," said Gloner as he led
her from the room.
At the rear of the house was a broad piazza where
the guests retired to cool themselves after the heating
mazes of the dance, and thither our couple made their
way. It was a lonely place, enclosed with lattice work
and trailing vines, while the moonbeams struggled
through and fell in broken splashes on the floor.
" Our host informed me that you are not a resident of
the city," said Gloner.
" Merely a visitor," she replied, " I live in the interior
of the State, but we generally pass our winters in the city.
It is a fashion we Southerners have—rather a foolish one
too—and there is not a day passes, while away, but
what I repeat poor Payne's line, ' There is no place like
home.' And it is only to please papa, who thinks that
the salt breeze of the coast benefits me, that I consent to
leaving it."
" True," replied Gloner, " Home should be the great
center of all our hopes, our aspirations, and our affections,
but how few American homes posssss all these requisites,
or even one of them. A true home is where one can lay
down all his cares at its threshhold, and enter without a
thought upon the great world outside, or a mind to mingle
with its busy scenes."
" You must have a pleasant one to speak so feelingly
on the subject," she replied.
" Pardon me," he answered, " one does not speak
feelingly of what one does possess. The reverse is the
rule. We only speak feelingly of that we are striv-
ing for, and which we hope to gain at some future period.
Home may be likened to the terminus of a railway, a
boarding house is one of the way stations. I am stop-
ping at a way station."
" Waiting for the next train I suppose," she said with
a smile.
" No, not the next, for I am far from ready; it makes
me tremble sometimes when I think of it, and realize
howT far off it is. I have to make a competence first,
then seek for a suitable companion ere I take passage,
for I am one who believes that there is no true felicity
unless one is happily married. When I accomplish those
two things I hope to have a home, which, even though it
may be humble, will prove a happy one."
" I fear you are waiting to accomplish too much be-
fore marriage, and then you will be too fastidious to find
a companion to suit you. You must not look for per-
fection in our sex."
" No I shall not, but I shall look for three things, and
they are imperative—Truth, Honor, and Love."
Just then supper was announced. It was a sumptu-
ous repast, with every delicacy of the season in the great-
est abundance. There were oysters in every style that
one could call for, and fruits of all kinds, from oranges
just picked from the tree, to strawberries, ripe, fresh and
luscious, as well as all kinds of jellies, and cakes, and
tarts, and wine to be found in the market. Now
Gloner was a lover of good living, and the hour passed
at the the table was really a pleasant one, for he had not
only every delicacy that could please the palate, but the
more he saw of his companion the more he admired her.
She took such a sensible view of things, she was so well
informed, she talked so well, and then she was so retiring
in her disposition and so modest withal, that no wonder
he was charmed with her.
After supper was over he passed another half hour
with her, when a servant announced her carriage.
"Twelve o'clock already," she said, "really the
evening has passed away very rapidly."
"Thank you for the compliment," returned Gloner;
" and may I dare to express a hope that our acquaintance
thus pleasantly begun may continue."
"Certainly," she replied; "we are stopping at the
Battle House, and I shall be pleased to see you at any
time."
" Depend upon it, I shall avail myself of the privilege,"
he answered, as he handed her in the carriage, and in an-
other moment she was gone.
Returning to the ball-room, one of the first persons he
met was Mr. Hardy, who saluted him with, " Well, Glo-
ner, how do you like Miss Linden ?"
" I was well pleased with her, considering the disad-
vantages under which all labor at a party like this," he
answered.
" Certainly ; well, the more you see of her the more
you will admire her," returned Hardy. " Poor Lucy ! it
is a pity her health is so bad, for she has everything to
make life pleasant. She is motherless, and an only child,
with great wealth, a pleasant home, and the fondest of
fathers, so that her every wish is gratified; and it only
proves her amiable disposition, else she would have been
spoiled ere this."
The two hours that passed before the breaking up of
the party were long ones to Gloner, and he found it use-
less to attempt to get Loring away before that time.
" I tell you what it is," exclaimed that worthy, after he
had seen his last partner safely stowed away in her car-
riage, " if Mobile isn't the most sociable place I ever saw !
Why, I never enjoyed myself so well before. It would
take about twelve months up in Ohio for me to get as well
acquainted as I have here to-night. Why, I've had enough
invitations to call to keep me busy during the entire holi-
days, and every one asked me to bring you along. We
are going to have jolly times here, I do assure you. I
wonder if it would be the same if they knew I was a
dauber—hey ? "
" Yes, among all whose good opinion is worth striving
for," answered Gloner, slowly, then relapsing into silence,
he seemed wrapped in his own thoughts. Not so with
Loring, however. The evening he had passed had a most
exhilcrating effect on his spirits, and he talked incessantly
about his supposed triumphs, and the good times in an-
ticipation, until they separated for the night.
The week that followed proved a delightful one to both
our friends. Everything was so new and so amusing to
them, particularly to watch the darkies, who had flocked
by the thousands in the city, and who could be seen and
heard at all hours of the day, and night too for that mat-
ter, playing on "do ole banjo," or singing their favorite
plantation melodies. For a week they were emphatically
free—as free as any wild Indian that ever roamed the
plains, for they could go where they pleased, do about what
they pleased, and no questions were asked, nor no passes
shown. Every kitchen was a free lunch restaurant, where
they could drop in, and Aunt Dinah was always ready to
provide freely from her overstocked larder.
. Loring improved the advantages gained on Christmas
eve, and was busy with his calls, in some of which Gloner
accompanied him, but generally he went alone. Nearly
every day he dined out, and every evening he accompa-
nied some lady to a ball or the theater, and the only thing
that seemed to trouble him was the evident fact that the
holidays would soon be over.
Of course Gloner called on Miss Linden; and such a
warm, kind reception did he receive that he called a second
time, and on New Year's eve he accompanied her, with a
party of ladies and gentlemen, to the grand ball of the
" Cowbellions," to which he was fortunate enough to pro-
cure a ticket, which was an honor that many an old citizen
would be proud of. As he bid her good-by that night, he
obtained her consent to accompany him in a drive down
the Bay Road the next afternoon, and in the evening they
were both invited to a ball given by the Irving Association.
The Bay Road is perhaps the-finest drive in the United
States; at least we have never seen anything to equal it.
It runs along the bay shore for miles, and being built of
oyster shells, and kept in the most thorough repair, it is as
hard and level as a floor. And then the scenery is charm-
ing as well as romantic. To the east the broad bay rolls
its dark waves, covered with shipping from every part of the
civilized world, while to the west, after leaving the charm-
ing suburban villas that extend three or four miles from the
city, the road is lined with thick forests of pine and mag-
nolia, their evergreen foliage forming a most pleasing
contrast, one being light and the other almost black. It
was down this road, in one of Mr. Hardy's best " turn-
outs," that Gloner and Miss Linden pursued their way on
that lovely New Year's afternoon. Going down, the beau-
tiful residences, the gay equipages that'they met every
few minutes, the broad bay and dark forests formed to-
pics of conversation; but when they returned homeward,
after a delightful lunch at Knoblock's, their conversation
took a more individual cast, and they talked of domestic
life, of books, and of each other's tastes, like old friends
in confidential converse. We have not the space to pre-
sent that conversation, however interesting it might prove,
else our friend, the editor, would broadly hint that we
were lengthening our humble story to" undue proportions.
Enough to know that when Gloner left her at the door of
the Battle House, their mutual regard and admiration for
each other were highly enhanced by the afternoon's drive.
Never had Gloner nor Loring a better time than at the
ball that night. Everybody seemed determined to enjoy
themselves to the fullest extent, and hilarity and good-
humor reigned on every side. "It's the last of the holi-
days," they would say, " so let us enjoy it to the fullest
extent."
The next morning work commenced again, and then
Margrave, who had been neglected too long, was remem-
"bered, and a note was dispatched to Montgomery for him,
also one to the postmaster at that place to forward all
letters addressed either to Loring or Gloner. A week
elapsed, and then a couple of letters were received which
proved to be from Margrave; one, written at Hernando,
Mississippi, stating that he had concluded to remain there
a month or so ; the other, written a couple of weeks later at
Panola, which contained the entertaining piece of informa-
tion that he had left Hernando in a hurry, arrived in town
the day before, and had woke up that morning to the pleas-
ing realization of the fact that his room-mate had robbed
him during the night and decamped. "Must get some-
thing to do here," he added, " even if I have to hire out as
assistant bar-keeper in this one-7iiule hotel, for I'm broke
completely."
A letter was at once dispatched to him at that address,
urging him to come to Mobile; but as week after week
passed away without an answer, they concluded that Mar-
grave had got lost in the vast swamps of Upper Missis-
sippi.
In the meantime Gloner had finished his contract, and
so well pleased was Mr. Hardy with the work, that he
made another, wherein Gloner got enough work to keep
him busy for three months at least, at the best of prices.
" Now if I only had a trimmer here," said Hardy one
day-, " I would be all right; but perhaps one will come
along one of these days."
" Get some material," said Gloner, " and I think I can
manage to get you one or two jobs trimmed, at least."
" What do you want1?" asked Hardy.
" A couple of hides of enameled leather, two sides of
dash, a roll or two of duck, and a few yards of buckram.
There is enough curled hair and moss round the stable to
stuff all the cushions."
In a day or two all the articles were forthcoming, and
then Loring took an open buggy, and after three days'
52
THE NEW YORK COACH-MAKER'S MAGAZINE.
September,
work on it pronounced it finished ; and in truth, consider-
ing his being out of practice, it was a very creditable
job.
When finished,Mr. Hardy was called up, and his aston-
ishment was only equaled by his delight to see such a job
completed and ready for the road.
" Did you do tliat, Loring ?" he asked. " Why, I had
no idea you were a trimmer too. Really, this is lucky.
I thought Gloner here was going to do it all the time.
Well, well, that is a splendid job, and no mistake."
"I was raised in a carriage shop, so to speak," said
Loring, "and consequently learned how to trim before 1
took up painting. And now let us make a bargain. Of
course I agree to my bargain for your painting, and when I
work at that it will be at the same figures as we have al-
ready settled on. But if you wish it, 1 will devote say three
days in the week to trimming, at so much a job."
"Certainly," replied Hardy, "that is all right, and
would suit me exactly. Let's look at the jobs that need
trimming, and we can soon make a bargain ;" which they
did, at figures which promised a handsome income to
Loring.
Thus the winter passed away, and spring came, but the
change was so slight as to be scarcely perceptible. And
then, as summer came on, our two friends concluded it was
best to try their fortunes up the country. " There is no use
in going," said Hardy, " and if I had work for you, I would
not listen to it; for I tell you, Mobile is the healthiest place
in the United States, barring our epidemics ; and we never
have yellow fever before the last of July, and New Orleans
always tells us when it's coming." But as work was going
to be slack in the city during the hot weather, they de-
termined to go up to Montgomery, at least, when they
would be guided by circumstances as to their future opera-
tions.
{To be continued.)
I
TREATISE ON THE WOODWORK OF CAR-
RIAGES.
{Continued from page 19.)
As this treatise will doubtless come under the notice
of many readers, who are even ignorant of the first prin-
ciples of elementary geometry; we think it best to define
the principal terms that will be employed. Moreover, in
order to facilitate the demonstration, we have had recourse
to means that are not generally employed in similar
works. Therefore to avoid all false interpretation and
confusion, we will formulate the principal and indicate the
respective solutions on figures represented in perspective
and in the most favorable position for the purpose of
showing the lines, the surfaces, and the framework on
which our demonstrations bear. The future operations
will be solved on plans adopted by the projections.
On the other hand, we have treated the patterns in
such a style that the reader's attention will not be too
closely taxed. For this reason we have divided the de-
monstrations in order to place the smallest number of
annotations on the same figure. Notwithstanding all
these precautions, we recommend the readers, who have
not made themselves familiar with the geometrical terms,
to study those mentioned in the chapter of preliminary
principles. When the meaning of the term is well under-
stood, the difficulties will be considerably lessened.
The most expansive operation in the art of sketching,
by means of the various manners by which it can be re-
solved, and by the number of lines that jt includes, is that
consisting of the construction of the dihedral angle.
[Dihedral comes from two Greek words, di; twice, and
f'(Jo", a seat or face; meaning here an angle with two
sides or surfaces.—Ed.]
The construction of the dihedral angle can be per-
formed in three different manners: 1st, on the direct
angle; 2d, on the angle opposed to the top; 3d, on one
of the supplementary angles. Let us, however, take note
that each of those operations can be done either on the
vertical plane, on the horizontal, or on the auxiliary
plane, giving therefore nine different ways of constructing
the dihedral angle.
The manner of proceeding by cither of these systems
is however not a matter of indifference, especially in prac-
tice, this will be proved hereafter; but we must now men-
tion that it is well to study them all. We even invite
the reader to construct them on paper, in order to be-
come familiar with them the sooner.
The chief obstacle that will present itself in the con-
struction of the dihedral angle, to those who have not
studied descriptive geometry, and many are included in
this category, arises from a want of knowing where to
commence the work, owing to the absence of reasoning. In
fact the construction must be made with six or twelve
lines according to the method adopted. Therefore, which
line can be commenced with it if it is not known which
order will be carried out?
In order to remove these difficulties, we will preface
each problem by a solution, indicating the path to be pur-
sued and the means whereby to solve the operation. The
results of construction that then follow must only serve
to justify the solution on which the reader must concen-
trate his entire attention.
CLASSIFICATION OF WORK.
PART FIRST.
Representation of the body; the generation of sur-
faces ; the construction, in its full size, from an upright,
the projection of which is fixed ; the construction, in its
full- size of a surface of which the projection is given.
Rectilinear angles; the construction of the dihedral
angle.
PART SECOND.
The formation of some geometrical curves; the for-
mation of some geometrical surfaces; the formation of
the rounding of a phaeton ; the formation of swelling or
sweeping bodies; the intersections of irregular surfaces,
and the effects they produce; the formation of oblique
surfaces; ideas on mounting carriages ; usual dimensions;
the joints; the method by which to trace the framing of
the principal bodies.
PART THIRD.
Properties of the substances of the various kinds of
wood used in the woodwork of carriages; how to distrib-
ute them; how to store them in order to insure speedy
dessication, and how to work them.
Dictionary of technical terms usually employed to in-
dicate the various portions of carriage woodwork.
1869.
THE NEW YORK COACH-MAKER'S MAGAZINE.
53
PRELIMINARY PRINCIPLES.
I. Definitions.—The definition, says Montferrier, in
his Dictionary of Mathematics, " is the specification of the
figures that distinguish an object, or the enumeration of
single ideas that form a composed idea." Definitions are
general or particular : therefore, when the plane is defined,
that is a surface on which a square can be applied to all
parts alike, so as to be perfectly coincident, the definition
is general, because it can be applied to all planes. But if
another idea is added to this general one, in order to indi-
cate either the position of the plane, vertical, horizontal
or inclined, or its relation to another plane, perpendicu-
lar, oblique, in which case the definition is particular.
In genera], all geometrical figures are created and con-
structed according to the definition that always precedes
the demonstration.
In these preliminary notions we only define the geo-
metrical figures that are absolutely necessary to illustrate
our demonstrations, which only bear on the figured sur-
face ; that is, we do not consider the objects for the pur-
pose of fixing the dimensions by comparing them to the
units of length, surface or volume, but merely to represent
them in their size and in their bearing to each other.
II. The appellation of body, solid or volume, is applied
to all objects that pass the three dimensions of length,
breadth, height or depth. The bodies that Ave have
specially under consideration, and which are produced by
the application of woodwork to the construction of car-
riages, are designated under the names of bodies, boxes
and frames.
III. By substracting either of the above-mentioned di-
mensions, so that only two can be considered, the idea is
formed of a surface. The bodies, and the boxes, and also
all their framework are separated from the space that sur-
rounds them by surfaces.
IV. In the same manner, by substracting one of the
dimensions from the surface, there will be only one space
left either in length, breadth or height; this space is
called the line. Surfaces are bounded by lines in the same
manner as bodies are bounded by surfaces.
V. If a line so diminishes in length that it becomes
beyond all given quantities it is called a point. The con-
ception of a point is that it has no extent, but merely in-
dicates a position in space, either the extremities of a line
or the crossing of two lines.
VI. The generation of elements will be obtained by
proceeding in an inverse sense. When a point is moved
a line is created, the same result that follows the movement
of a pencil upon a sheet of paper. By moving a line, a
surface is created; the edge of a knife, the blade of a saw
are lines that create surfaces when used to cut or dissect
any object. By moving a surface, a solid is created; a
half-circle turned around its diameter creates a sphere.
VII. Two surfaces meet on a line that is called their
line of intersection. The junction or crossing of two lines
is called their point of intersection.
VIII. There are two kinds of lines, straight and curved.
The straight or direct line is created by a point following
the same direction towards another. Hence it arises that
there can only be one straight line between two given
points.
A curved line is created by a point that continues to
change its direction ; there are several kinds of curved
lines, but in geometry notice is only taken of those whose
points observe a regularity, so that they can always be
/\— -_______-p determined. All curves
that are not subject to
a mathematical law are
regarded as a creation
of fancy.
A B {fig. 1) is a straight line, and C D a curved line.
IX. A plane surface, as mentioned above (Art. I.), is
that on which a square can be brought to coincide in
every sense. In carpentry a plane surface is physically
obtained on the frames by dressing them with a long
plane. This preliminary operation is applied to all parts
of frames without exception before being tenoned; be-
cause on these planes the tracings of the other surfaces
have to be made, and frequently the principal lines of the
framework. Therefore, the terms of planes, planed sur-
faces, planes dressed by tho plane, are synonymous. In
the course of this work surfaces will generally be desig-
nated by the name of planes. We often employ this
word also for the conception of imaginary surfaces that
will be supposed, as if, in reality, the frames were to be
cut according to certain determined positions. These
imaginary surfaces are especially employed in the con-
struction of dihedral angles.
X. A curved or bent surface is one on which a square
cannot be made to bear on all parts ; as with curved lines,
there are various kinds of curved surfaces, and geometry
only acknowledges those in which all the points of which
they are formed can be rigorously determined.
In the following we suppose that the lines and surfaces
are traced on planes.
XI. Angles.—When two uprights, AB and A C {fig.
2) meet they form an angle.
"^ The point A is the top of the
angle and the uprights
A B and A C are the sides.
The angles are indicated by
the letter placed at the top,
when it is alone ; and by
three letters, by placing the
top one in the middle, when there are several angles around
one point. In the first case it would be angle A, and in the
second the angle B A C or C A B.
(To be continued.)
OUR GRECIAN CARRIAGE MUSEUM.—II.
The engraving which we here give represents an
ancient chariot now preserved in the Museum of the Vati-
can at Rome. Its gorgeousness would seem to warrant us
in believing that Homer's poetical shadings only de-
scribed real objects. Modern art could hardly excel it
either in model or finish. The scroll work is creditable
to the genius of the nation with which it originated.
With such models before his eyes, is it any wonder that
the Mantuan bard took a lofty flight when alluding to
them, or that his countrymen esteemed them so highly,
that when at rest with the horses unhitched, the chariot
was taken into the tent, and protected from dust by a
covering provided for the purpose.
The more common way with the Greeks was to har-
ness two horses abreast in their chariots. These, accord-
ing to Homer, were " fed on lotus," "lake-fed parsley,
white barley and oats " from " Ambrosial mangers," to
54
THE NEW YORK COACH-MAKER'S MAGAZINE.
September,
GRECIAN CHARIOT.—FROM THE MUSEUM OP THE VATICAN.
which his fair maned steeds were bound. The same 'au-
thor tells us that the name of the horses of Achilles were
respectively Kanthus and Barius, leading us to infer that
it was customary in those early times, as now, to give
names to horses of distinguished worth.
In the Grecian language war-chariots were called
Diphros (two-seated,) and sometimes, too, synous, or " dou-
ble-team." These were of various kinds. Pausanius says
that the temples and other public buildings of Greece
were decorated with trophies, some of which were bronze.
He particularly refers to bigas and quadrigas—twenty-
four in number, filled with one or more human figures,
accompanied by couriers and men on foot. These, as we
shall hereafter find, were thus, with" other spoils, conse-
crated to the gods, out of gratitude for success in war.
VEHICULAR ODDITIES.
Aside from the bicycle, the oddities of which—both in
construction and operation—have amused the public for
a number of months past, a vehicle is a very common
place affair, whether looked at as a buggy, a cart or a
wheelbarrow; yet this class of apparatus has been the
subject of much inventive effort, not always well or wisely
expended, but giving from time to time apt and odd
illustrations of perverted and useless ingenuity. These
devices include, not only plans for making vehicles of
cylindrical form, and others for propelling them by a
series of claws or feet, but as well, some fifty, more or
less, different endless traveling railways, a score and a
half of carriages moved by impelling legs or levers, and
at least a dozen fitted with screw propellers to insure the
requisite progression. In addition to these there have
been perhaps forty systems of constructing wheels with
elastic peripheries, many of them including the use of
tires inlaid with india-rubber, gutta-percha, and the like.
Some of these out-of-the-way and useless devices are
very old, and have been revived in recent times. An
example of this is seen in the application of
propelling feet or legs to one or two self-
propelling steam-plows proposed within the
past year or two ; in the endless track of the
well known Boydell plowing apparatus, in-
vented in substantially the same form in Eng-
land by one Edgeworth a century ago, and
the germ of which existed before his time
in an obscure memoir of the French Academy.
No one, however, has been found adven-
turous enough to revive the plan brought for-
ward many years since of substituting the
wheels of a vehicle by spherical ones, which,
it was believed, would be better adapted for
moving over soft ground. Neither has there
been any revival of the far-fetched method of
working the traveling carriages of agricultu-
ral implements by electric currents from fixed
galvanic batteries, proposed by the sanguine
Henry Jinkers, in 1840. The plan, however,
of making vehicles in the form of cylindrical
drums is reinvented every little while, in
shapes ranging from a steam-carriage for com-
mon roads to a velecipede. It would seem
quite probable, moreover, that this form of
apparatus might, in some cases, be used for
the purpose for which it was patented some
seventeen years ago in England—the transportation of
night soil, sewerage, and the like.—American Artisan.
STAGE-RIDING.
The pleasures of stage-riding are little known to the
great majority of people living this side of the Rocky
Mountains, railroads having generally superseded that
mode of traveling. The "Colfax party " had a taste of
them, however, in their passage from Cheyenne to Den-
ver, and Mr. Bowles gives us a description, which will
remind not a few of our readers of the experiences of
former days:
" In stage-riding it is peculiarly true that it is the first
night that costs. It is more intolerable than the combina-
tion of the succeeding half-dozen, were the journey pro-
longed for a week; the breaking-iu is fearful, the prolon-
gation is bearable. The air gets cold ; the road grows
dusty and chokes, or rough and alarms you ; the legs get
stiff and numb; the temper edges ; everybody is over-
come with sleep, but can't stay asleep—the struggle of
contending nature racks every nerve, fires every feeling ;
everybody flounders and knocks about against everybody
else in helpless despair ; perhaps the biggest man in the
stage will really get asleep, which doing, he involuntarily
and with irresistible momentum spreads himself, legs,
bouts, arms and head, over the whole inside of the coach;
the girls screech ; the profane swear ; some lady wants a
smelling-bottle out of her bag, and her bag is somewhere
on the floor—nobody knows where—but found it must
be; everybody's back hair comes down, and what is
nature and what is art in costume and character revealed
—and then, hardest trial of all, morning breaks upon the
scene and the feelings—everybody dirty, grim, faint, " all
to pieces," cross—such a disenchanting exhibition ! The
girl that is lovely then, the man who is gallant and serene
—let them be catalogued for posterity, and translated at
once; heaven cannot spare such ornaments, and they are
too aggravating for earth."
I860.
THE NEW YORK COACH-MAKER'S MAGAZINE.
55
SWEEPS FOR SCALE DRAFTING.—VI.
SWEEP FOR SCALE DRAFTING.
We now give another pattern for sweeps—being the sixth
in the series—which will be finished in about three num-
bers more. These will be found of great value to such as
contemplate practising scale-drafting in carriages, and may-
be obtained at a cheap rate, providing they are cut from
rosewood veneers after the manner we have before inti-
mated in these pages.
SLEIGHING^ IN RUSSIA.
When the roads are rough, the continual jolting of the
sleigh is very fatiguing to the traveler, and frequently, dur-
ing the first two or three days of his journey, throws him
into what is very properly designated the road-fever. His
pulse is quick, his blood warm, his head aches, his whole
frame becomes sore and stiff, and his mind is far from
being serene and amiable. In the first part of my land
journey, I had the satisfaction of ascertaining by practical
experience the exact character of the road-fever. My
brain seemed ready to burst, and appeared to my excited
imagination about as large as a barrel ; every fresh jolt
and thump of the vehicle gave me a sensation as if some-
body were driving a ten penny nail into my skull; as for
good nature under such circumstances, that was out of the
question, and I am free to confess that my temper was not
unlike that of a bear with a sore head. Happily, how-
ever, I kept it pretty well to myself, and as my compan-
ion was affected about as I was, we managed not to dis-
agree.
Where the roads are good, or if the speed is not great,
one can sleep very well in a Russian sleigh ; I succeeded
in extracting a great deal of slumber from my vehicle,
and sometimes did not wake for many hours. Sometimes
the roads are in such wretched condition that one is tossed
in his vehicle to the height of discomfort, and can be very
well likened to a lump of butter in a revolving churn. In
such cases sleep is almost, if not wholly, impossible, and
the traveler, proceeding at courier speed, must take ad-
vantage of the few moments' halt at the stations while
the horses are being changed. As he has but ten or fif-
teen minutes for the change, he makes good use of his
time, and sleeps very soundly until his team is ready.
—Harper's Magazine.
%t\\ Illustrations of \\t fntfti
AMERICANIZED VICTORIA.
Illustrated on Plate XIII.
Ever since the great exhibition in London, in 1851,
this description of vehicle has, under modified forms, been
very popular among certain classes of customers, and with
good reason, not simply on account of its lightness, but be-
cause they also make an exceedingly stylish and airy turn-
out for a small family. Our drawing is from an original
design in, which the artist has studied lightness with re-
markable success. Not only has he adopted the latest
points of Parisian art, but has combined therewith many
decidedly American, the whole making—in our judgment
—a very handsome design. The reader will observe with
some interest the new mode of applying top-joints adopted
in this instance.
Wheels 3 feet and 3 feet 10 inches high; hubs 3f
inches by 6£ inches; spokes} inch; rims 1} inches;
tire, steel, 1 by I inch. A cant with a little alteration,
readily made—applicable to this vehicle—will be found
on page 53, volume X. Price of this phaeton from
$1,000 to $1,200, according to finish.
PHAETON WITH FALLING-TOP.
Illustrated on Plate XIV.
Thebe Phaetons are very convenient for summer
watering places, being hung off low so as to make them
THE NEW YORK COACH-MAKER'S MAGAZINE.
September,
easily accessible for the ladies, by whom they are princi-
pally used. A "rumble "has been attached in this in-
stance for a groom, a thing seldom done in this country,
although very common in Europe. The top should be
made to take off at will, so as to make it a Poney Phae-
ton. The top of the back quarter may be left open as in
the drawing. Color of the body vermillion, with fine line
black stripe near the mouldings; carriage blue, with
black and white stripe, this last fine on the wide black
one. Linings dark blue cloth.
Wheels 3 feet and 3 feet 10 inches high ; hubs 4 feet
by 6\ inches; spokes 1 inch; rimsl| inches deep; tires
T5g- by 1 inch, homogeneous steel. Price about $650.
SIDE-BAR BUGGY.
Illustrated on Plate XV.
Square-bodied buggies are again gradually coming
into fashion. The one we have under consideration, has
been hung on side-bars in combination with a side-spring
of single-leaf steel, which makes it look much lighter than
when constructed in the old way. The details applicable
to this portion of the buggy will be found among the
" Sparks from the Anvil," published with this monthly
part of our Magazine. The size of the wheels (the
lightest made) are given in detail under the head of
"Coal-box Road Buggy," on the 10th page of this volume.
IMPROVED CUTTER SLEIGH.
Illustrated on Plate XVI
Tins elegant design is the contribution of an esteemed
friend who takes considerable interest in this Magazine.
It is different from anything we have yet seen in the line
of sleighs, and therefore quite novel. The builder will
have to exercise some skill in constructing the round
back. The mock-blinds and scroll on the back quarter
may be done in colors. A sleigh built on this model does
away with the old leather rester formerly used, which
soon got out of order and proved ve"ry annoying to per-
sons of o-,)od taste.
SIX-SEATED FAMILY SLEIGH.
Illustrated on Plate XVI.
This is another beautiful design from the same iiiiren-
ious friend who contributed the preceding one to our
columns. This sleigh should track about 3 feet 4 inches.
The bottom side will require to be about G inches wide to
furnish the requisite width forgetting a suitable swell, and
secured to the bearers with stout screws or light bolts at
least 3 feet apart. The color of paint is a matter of so
much taste with different individuals that it is only a work
of folly to prescribe for others in this matter. The trim-
mings usually employed are plushes of different shades,
red and green predominating.
front \\z
STEEL COMBINED WITH WOODEN SIDE-BAR
SPRINGS.
A certain class of customers are very partial to the
wooden side-bar mode of hanging up very light no-top
buggies, such being much stiffer, and freed from the
tremulous motion found where elliptical springs are em-
ployed, and, therefore, much better adapted to taut-rein
driving. The greatest objection to them, heretofore, has
been, they were a little too stiff for easy trotting, and a
little too clumsy—as formerly made—for gracefulness
in appearance, when contrasted with other portions of the
same vehicle, to which they have uniformly been ap-
plied. Various plans have been resorted to for remedy-
ing these difficulties; but among them all, we have seen
none which has pleased us better than the one adopted in
the buggy, on Plate XV, of which we give an enlarged
view, with this article.
n
In the diagram, AA is a single-leaf spring, nicely
bedded on the top of the side-bar, and secured thereto by
three light clips, the side-bar itself resting on half springs
at the ends. BB are the ends of two cross-bars on which
the body D rests; and C a light wooden bar connecting
with the ends of bars BB, through which it is bolted to
the ends of the. spring.
SHOEING HORSES.
We have recently read Capt. Cockerel's report issued
by the War-office, on a new system of shoeing horses
introduced by Monsieur Charlier, of Paris.
As doctors are usually very fond of horses, and may
be supposed to have their own opinions, we venture to
give ours. No doubt many objections to the old system
can be urged.
The process adopted by farriers of cutting away the
strong and constantly renewed horn on the sole,
of the foot appears to be physiologically incorrect.
The shoes are almost always too heavy, are often badly
placed, and contain too many nails. It has often occur-
red to us that some plan should be devised for fixing the
shoe in such a way that it could be readily removed or
replaced. Farriers will no doubt ridicule the idea of
taking off a horse's shoes like those of a man when he
goes to bed ; but, however novel the idea may be, it is,
we are convinced, anything but ridiculous in principle.
Let it be granted that nature has constructed the feet of
the horse on a plan very different from those of his rider;
but no one, unless he were intoxicated or mad, would
voluntarily think of sleeping in his boots. A dead weight
of iron through which the foot sustains a series of inces-
santly repeated concussions during the day, can have no
other effect than that of causing an unnecessary expendi-
ture of force with a commensurate amount of fatigue ¦
and the comfort of the animal, as well as the requisite
development and growth of the foot which have to take
1869.
THE NEW YORK COACH-MAKER'S MAGAZINE.
57
place during periods of rest, cannot be properly accom-
plished when heavy iron shoes are constantly maintained
upon it.
We nevertheless do not see any plan of doing away
with the nails to fix the shoe to the foot; but if they
must be employed, they need not be misused as they
generally are. Horse-shoeing may be best compared to
man-shoeing. Man and beast both suffer; but the
former has made an advance lately, in consequence of
his being able to express his feelings pretty loudly to
his shoemaker, and insist on being properly and comfort-
ably fitted. We have considered M. Charlier's theory from
the time it was first promulgated, and we confess we are not
convinced that its great superiority is such as to demand
its adoption. If the ordinary horseshoe be studied in
connexion with the foot of the animal it is intended to
fit, the shoe will commonly be found to be wrong in the
following particulars : It is made too narrow at the fore
part and too wide at the back. It is fixed with eight
nails, extending all round, and confining the heel ; while
the tender parts of the foot are left exposed and fitted to
catch every sharp stone. The shoe ought to be rounder
than that made by farriers, and secured by five, or at
most six nails round the toe.
Good fitting does more to hold the shoe on than the
nails ; but this gives the smith more trouble, and he finds
it easier and cheaper to drive in a lot of nails all round,
and does so.
M. Charlier is right, we think, in deprecating the cut-
ting away the frog, and this need not be done with ordi-
nary shoes more than with his ; but cutting and trimming
makes the foot look neat, and, therefore, grooms and
smiths like it.
It is very probable that the best, easiest, and safest
form of shoe would be something between the Turkish
round plate, with a hole in its center, and ours, because
what the horse misses in the ordinary shoes is a support for
the heel, on which the weight of his body rests and the
elasticity of his action depends. This class of shoe,
called a bar-shoe, clumsily made however, is frequently
used with horses when they have weak heels or corns,
and it is found that they can work well in such a shoe
when they cannot in one of a common form.
There is, however, a strong feeling against it, because
it is customary to suppose that a horse is unsound which
wears shoes of this description.—London Lancet.
faint
IMPROVEMENTS IN COx\CH PAINTING.
BY J. S. LEGGETT.
Is it going to require three long months to paint a car-
riage when discoveries have long since been made to con-
vey messages thousands of miles within a flash of the
vivid 1 ightning % when machinery has been invented to
carry us over the ground on wheels at the rate of sixty
miles per hour % We are living in a country which is
the seat of civilization, refinement and luxury. Mechan-
ical intelligence and enterprise is fast taking labor from
the hand as it were, and placing before it a more inex-
Vol. xi.—8
haustable power. So it is useless for us to argue the
propriety of the old and long process in carriage painting,
yet many claim it is the only proper method. Men have
not discovered ways of painting carriages by machinery,
but they are making vast improvements in materials used.
It was once thought necessary to take ninety days to
paint a coach in order to have a durable surface; but, at
the present time, some of our largest establishments in
this line of business are turning out very beautifully finished
vehicles in twenty-six days. The old system of lead
painting has been abandoned by a large number of shops,
and an article called " permanent wood-filling," has been
substituted. We formerly applied a coat of oil priming
and let it remain at least seven days, after which gave the
body from three to five coats of lead, letting each coat
stand three or four clays before the English filling or a
similar substance was applied. We now give the job one
coat of the wood-filling, and after it has remained four
days only it is ready for rough stulf. And I will say
here I sincerely believe if the following coats are properly
prepared and applied over the wood-filling, the latter will
make a more durable surface than the first. At the same
time we have used less stock, exhausted less labor, and
finished the work in less time, giving better satisfaction to
the customer, to the employer and to ourself.
Do not think I am recommending this system of paint-
ing for the benefit of the invention, or the manufacturers of
the filling. No ; to the contrary. I am writing for the
benefit of carriage builders and painters at large, for no
doubt some have condemned the above system simply
because they have not tested it properly or long enough
to become acquainted with its nature, or to appreciate its
merits.
In conclusion allow me to ask one question, has there
ever been any substance introduced in a paint shop, that,
when only one thin coat is given (previous to the color),
will protect a carriage, especially the iron work, through
the test of weather and climate equal to the Permanent
Wood-Filling?
LEAD POISON.
Lead Poison—Painter's Cholic—is evidently the re-
sult of slovenliness on the part of the workmen, for such
only appears to be troubled with it. Not long ago, a
walking-stick maker in London, who used white lead in
his business in fastening on the tops of fancy sticks and
whitening them, died under such peculiar circumstances,
that a jury of inquest was summoned to inquire into the
cause, which, after due consultation, returned a verdict,
" that the deceased expired from the mortal effects of
lead poisoning." During the investigation it was ascer-
tained, that this poison had not been inhaled in the paint
room, in breathing, as many workmen suppose it is; but
had been taken into the stomach from the hands, with his
food, in consequence of his neglect to wash them properly.
There are many other paints besides lead which are ex-
ceedingly poisonous in their natures, and cannot be used
with impunity, without exercising great caution. Painters
should never eat until they have thoroughly washed their
hands with soap and water, and, as an extra protection,
rinsed out their mouths well. We feel assured that those
who follow this advice will not need to take medicine to
counteract the evil, but will be safe from its effects.
R. S.
58
THE NEW YORK COACH-MAKER'S MAGAZINE. September,
PINK COLOR IN WHITE-LEAD CORROSIONS.
BY WILLIAM BAKER, F.C.8.
In sume contributions to the metallurgy of lead, pub-
lished in the Philosophical Magazine, in 1862, I attributed
a certain pink tint, occasionally seen in white-lead corro-
sions, to the presence of small quantities of copper. As
the results of any experiments upon the corrosion of lead,
by the combined action of fermenting bark, acetic acid
vapor, and. atmospheric oxygen, can only be arrived at
after the expiration of ten weeks or three months, the
progress of further investigation in this matter has been
necessarily slow. I have been unable to isolate the color-
ing matter; but I wish to correct the statement that the
pink color is due to copper, and to detail some conclusive
proofs that it is caused by finely divided silver.
Having obtained many tons of lead which contained
only traces of copper, I found, in several instances, the
pink color still quite evident in the corrosions. By the
method which has been employed for refining the metal,
there could be only silver left as an impurity in any per-
ceptible amount. I therefore sought for evidence that this
substance could produce such a result. Upon analyzing
five thousand grains of a perfectly white corrosion, and
one which was distinctly and uniformly pink, the result
showed that the composition of the two samples differed
mainly in the amount of silver :
CuO. Fe 0. Ni 0. Aa.
White corrosion... .0050 .0022 Trace. .0005 per cent.
Pink corrosion .... .0060 .0022 .0013 .0058 "
A small quantity of silver was then added to a por-
tion of the lead which had produced the white corrosions,
and this was again submitted to the corroding action.
The result was a decided pink carbonate. This syntheti-
cal experiment was repeated many times, with a like re-
sult, upon various samples of lead which had before pro-
duced a white carbonate; and I find the pink color begins
to show at the edge of the metallic portion left uncorroded
when the silver amounts to more than one-half ounce per
ton of lead. A decided color, which is uniform through-
out a mass of the corrosion, is obtained when the silver
amounts to about one and a half ounce per ton. A frac-
ture of a dense corrosion often shows the crystalline
character of the metallic lead, which is defined to some
extent by the pink color—as if the silver had segregated
out a certain faces of the lead crystals. By the addition
of a small quantity of arsenic or antimony, the pink color
was replaced by a dull purple; and a clear pink tint was
only obtained when all the oxidizable metals had been
removed.
I come now to the discussion of the state in which the
silver exists to cause a pink or reddish reflection of light.
Silver does not oxidize under the conditions of exposure
to acetic acid vapor and oxygen of the air. Moreover,
oxide of silver and silver carbonate are themselves de-
composed and reduced to a metallic state by a heat below
that attained in the stacks of fermenting tan. The silver
must consequently be in the metallic state. As confirm-
ing this statement, I made the following experiments :
Silver carbonate was titurated with white lead and water
and then dried. Upon increasing the temperature, a deli-
cate pink tint became visible upon the reduction of the
oxide of silver. If a small quantity of silver carbonate
be precipitated along with lead carbonate, the color, upon
drying and heating, is more uniform, and it may be ob-
tained exactly resembling the tint seen on white-lead cor-
rosions.
The color of the photographs obtained by means of
silver salts is also evidence in favor of the metallic state
of the silver ; and I may also adduce the fact, that a ray
of light, when reflected ten times from a polished silver
surface, is distinctly of a reddish color.
ORIGINAL "MONOGRAM.
Illustrated on Plate XV.
The Monogram printed on Plate XV., is a contribu-
tion from a friend, Mr. Willie Pest, of this city. In it are
combined the letters, II. W. S., which if not as complica-
ted as such things are sometimes presented, will yet, we
trust, be found useful. We could tell the painter how to
shade the different letters, but since this is matter of taste
with the artist, we shall in this instance leave it with him.
dimming
STOCK FOR TRIMMERS.
In our day, success in trade depends very much upon
system ; so much is this the case, that few, except such as
have a large capital and some enterprise, are able to make
and lay up any money in the carriage-making business. The
man, who, for instance, is obliged to run to the store
for just enough cloth to trim a single buggy, suffers from
waste, especially in cutting out head linings, whereas,
should he have several to finish, he can so contrive as to
work up nearly, or quite all the scraps, which will be a
considerable saving where material is costly. Again,
some portions of the linings are so much alike in" all
buggies, victorias, etc., that the same workman may be
kept on one kind of work nearly all the while, and since
practice not only makes perfect, but likewise increases
expedition in doing the work, somebody saves in labor
over the small manufacturers—either the employer who
hires his workmen by the day, or the employee who works
by the piece. This is one of the secrets of success in
large shops, in turning out better and nicer work than is
done in smaller ones. The following table of quantities
in cloth may be useful to the small manufacturers, for
whose convenience they are published :
For lining a buggy body, 1£ yards ; head lining, 4£
yards. When there is a back to trim, from a -} to I yard
more will be required in the body.
For a four-seat phaeton, in the body, 3± yards; in
the top, 4£ or 4£ yards, proportioned to size. For a'six-
seat phaeton, in body, 4f yards ; in top, 4iJ to 4f yards.
For a six-seat rockaway, with shifting front, from 13
to 14 yards.
For a four-seat coupe rockaway, 11 yards. Coupe
(circular front), 8 yards.
For a Brett, 10 yards.
For a coach, 12 yards.
For a full Clarence, 13 yards.
For alandaulet, 10^ yards coteline.
A reference to our prices current shows the price of
cloth at present, to be: For body"linings, from 13.50 (a)
$5 ; head lining, from |2.50 @ $3 ; cotelines, from $4
@ $8. Some persons buy German cloths because they
are cheap. These shrink so much that they draw a top
out of shape when they get wet and dry again; and if
1869.
THE NEW YORK COACH-MAKER'S MAGAZINE.
59
sponged before they are used—this should always be done
—they shrink so much that they are then no cheaper
than the English, and much more liable to fade, seldom
being " fast colors." The good qualities of the cloth
used in trimming go far in recommending a vehicle to
the customers, and is a matter too often overlooked by
some carriage-builders now-a-days.
(fiitor'a
CARRIAGE-MAKING ELEVATED.
For many years speculative minds have been occupied
with plans for the more speedy transmission of passen-
gers and merchandise, than has yet been accomplished,
either by horse, wind or steam power on terra firma. If
these speculators have thus far failed in reaching the acme
of their ambition, still there is very little doubt but that
their labors, in some indirect way, has contributed much
to the expedition of travel, as enjoyed by the civilized
nations of the world in this nineteenth century of uni-
versal progress. The aerial highways, on which castles
have been frequently erected, only to be blown away, and
which appears very pretty in the brain of the visionary,
may yet be laid out in maps of the coming age, by the
coming man, between earth and the starry world. Al-
though our faith is weak in this expectation, still there
are in existence to-day many improvements considered
equally visionary once as these aerial highways with their
flying vehicles are now. Who, one hundred years ago,
would have for a moment entertained the belief that
news would be every day transmitted from Europe
to this continent in a few hours, and appear every morn-
ing in print at the breakfast table, in connection with
that transpiring at our own doors 1 And so of many
other things which we need' not recapitulate here, since
they have become patent to the minds of the present
generation. We have become quite accustomed to re
ceive things hitherto counted visionary as living reali
ties, and, therefore, shall not be greatly surprised should
our carriages, on some favorable afternoon, be seen
in mid-air on their way to and from Boston to San
Francisco, and possibly to Europe. When the time ar-
rives the Alabama question will soon be settled, for we
need only fit out a number of aerial war-chariots, man
them with indignant Yankees and Irishmen, to make
Johnny Bull tremble in the " fast-anchored isle," and hold
it by possession until he pays us the last farthing. Hav
ing done this the Irishmen might be left on the premises,
to settle their " old scores " with this same " old English
gentleman." But this is a matter to be settled by our
successors, and we therefore turn to our present experi-
ments.
Just now our Pacific friends are elated with the suc-
cess attending an aerial ship, which, in an experiment
made with it, is said to have given complete satisfaction
to the engineers present. This has led to the formation
of an JEv'ial Navigation Company, the chief object of
which is for the purpose of raising funds for the purpose of
assisting the projector in constructing a full-sized air ship.
It is expected that it will be completed in about two
months, and then the Pacific Railroad Company will find
a competitor which will speedily regulate its charges to a
sliding scale, the tendency of which is downward. -The
aerial ship is to be named the Avitor, and be propelled
by an engine of five-horse power, and elevated and sup-
ported in the air partly by gas and partly by planes on
each side, at the center, extending some twenty feet from
the ship, on each side. The planes are constructed in
sections, and supplied with a rudder for elevating or de-
pressing the car at pleasure, as required. This arrange-
ment we are told will stop the sport old Aerial has hith-
erto made with former inventions of this kind, and secure
certain success in this instance. We, ourselves, remember
some years ago to have witnessed an experiment in the
old Broadway Tabernacle which promised a good deal,
and exploded in gas, just as the one under consideration
undoubtedly will. The component portions of this Avitor
are too largely gas to practical minds to ever prove suc-
cessful. But we shall see what it is made of very soon.
Meanwhile we hope our carriage-making friends will keep
quiet-—their occupation is not yet gone.
MALADMINISTRATION OF THE PATENT LAWS.
Recent intelligence from Europe informs us that the
repeal of the Patent Laws are seriously agitated in Eng-
land. This has stirred up a clamor among the scientific
journals on both sides of the Atlantic, as they see that
should such take place, their chief occupation would be
ruined, the most of them largely obtaining their support
from securing patents for such claims as may be presented
by pseudo inventors, many of them possessing no original-
ity whatever. This fact is so very notorious, among car-
riage-makers especially, that they have come to look upon
nearly everything in the patent line as mere humbugs,
and not worthy of notice. The Patent Office, as cun-
ducted in this country, is undoubtedly an institution for
legalized wrong, and ought to be radically overhauled.
Instead of repealing the laws which are only designed to
secure the proper interests of the ingenious inventor in
what is richly his own, let them be thoroughly reformed,
and more care taken that thieves are deprived of the priv-
ilege of defrauding the public under the shadow of what
is now denominated law. Were they administered with
the care which ought to characterize them, full one-half
of those on the weekly " Official Lists " would never ap-
pear, and only such as were palpably original, and of
some value, would receive the sanction of law from Wash-
GO
THE NEW YORK COACH-MAKER'S MAGAZINE.
September,
ington. As now managed, the most visionary claims are
allowed, and no person who applies is disappointed in his
hopes. Should any person wish to be considered a genius
now-a-days, he need only send in a model and file a claim,
and he finds himself indorsed by the examiner at once !
No wonder, then, that Patent Offices and the attaches
have become a bye-word and a scorn in the land. Let
our examiners take more time in their examinations, and
do their own thinking, trusting less to the representations
of patent lawyers, and the pretensions of knaves. - If this
were done, and none but really new inventions were
patented, no one would call for a repeal.
How much the carriage-building community has been
wronged by the action of the authorities at the seat of
Government has been amply illustrated in our pages on
several occasions. Two prominent examples present
themselves to the minds of our readers, the chief of which
has been the notorious " Perch-coupling " case, now for-
tunately " played out" by limitation, and the " Clip-king-
bolt " speculation, kept alive through the gullability of
the craft. The first was evidently the offspring of polit-
ical influence, and the last of legal perseverance and
audacity. Neither of these ever had anything stronger
than the color of law to protect them, and have only suc-
ceeded, because fools—some of them—are yet living.
The first has been several times before the courts and de-
feated ; the last never was carried thus far, because its
parents knew full well—being cunning—that were they
to sue for infringements, they would destroy the egg from
which their chickens are hatched. They manage, how-
ever, by threats and brow-beating, to pluck now and then
a fat goose from the oleaginous matter of which they
grease the wheels of their disgusting existence. How
much longer will this be tolerated ?
VARNISHES, WOOD-FILLING, &c.
In our advertising pages the reader will find some very
interesting and instructive remarks, emanating from the
very enterprising and reliable house of Valentine & Co.,
at " the Hub," on the subject of varnishes and other mat-
ters interesting to all who are obliged to use paints. It
will not be expected of us that we go into details here,
the subject having been amply ventilated in the adver-
tisement, which all readers are invited to dissect for
themselves. But we may add that we have been a long
time acquainted with the members of the firm personally,
and know that they have never stopped at expense in
their efforts to produce the best articles in their line,
which improved scientific appliances secure. We can
vouch, too, for their candor and honesty. They never
intentionally misrepresent an article as good, without
having good reasons for believing it such; and should the
article sent unfortunately not satisfy—which we think
seldom happens—we have ever found them ready to ex-
change it at their own expense. In a word—if you deal
with them, you run no risk of being Jewed, and have the
assurance that you are dealing with men with whom it is
a real pleasure to transact business, aside from the advan-
tages secured thereby.
TRADE STRIKES.
All workmen are at liberty to work or not, as they
best think fit, and can also arrange the conditions on
which the work is to be conducted. Liberty is a fruit of
the present era, and ought not to be curtailed or limited
in any manner whatever. The unions of certain branches
of trade, however, for the purpose of organizing so-called
strikes, whereby the operations in that branch are totally
stopped, either for the purpose of exacting higher rates of
wages or other advantages, is an abuse of freedom.
Such acts merely tend to excite evil passions, and seal
the doom of many families, who, but for such license, would
have continued on the road to prosperity. No single
branch of trade, at the present epoch, can be said to be a
monopoly, for the manufacturers are not only obliged to
enter into competition with their own countrymen, but
also to foreign manufacturers. When a strike occurs,
the manufacturer has only three means of escape, viz.:
To accede to the increased demands of his workmen, and
thereby diminish his legitimate profits; to seek fresh
hands from other parts ; or, to abandon the branch of
trade, in the machinery and buildings necessary to which,
he has perhaps invested the bulk of his fortune and
credit. In either case, the workmen are likely to be the
losers, because, even if their demands are acceded to, the
extra charge thus put upon the produce, will, in all pro-
babilities cause the trade to diminish and ultimately stop.
The successive strikes in various branches of trade
throughout Great Britain during the last few years, have
furnished ample proof of the evil results of such acts,
and should serve as serious warnings to all tradesmen.
The financial results of strikes to all who participate in
them are self evident and require no comment, but the
moral results are disastrous in every respect. Many
men, who were formerly known as steady, industrious
workmen, become accustomed to pass days and even
weeks in idling and in the attendance of social meetings,
where they are brought into immediate contact with
parties who make it a profession to -work up the labor-
ing man's worst feelings. Moreover, men acquire the
habit of depending upon others for the scanty support
meted out to themselves and their families pending the
duration of the difficulty. Financial difficulties are to be
overcome, but when a man acquires the pernicious habit
of depending upon others, instead of working for his own
support, the result is incalculable, and many families of
1869.
THE NEW YORK COACH-MAKER'S MAGAZINE.
Gl
once respectable tradesmen can safely attribute their
poverty of to-day,to the misplaced readiness evinced in
supporting a strike. Let every man be free, especially
in the question of labor, but let wisdom guide his actions.
AN IMPORTANT SUBJECT.
Our readers will no doubt have noticed the articles we
are now publishing in this Magazine, under the caption of
a " Treatise on the Wood-work of Carriages," which we
have had translated expressly for us at considerable ex-
pense from the French, by a competent scholar, attached
to the editorial staff of the New York Herald. The letter-
press will be copiously illustrated by geometrical dia-
grams, and continued through several monthly parts until
the whole is complete. Our next article will be accom-
panied with no less than twenty-four diagrams^ Need
we say to the reader that this will be—when finished—the
only genuine French Rule ever published in the English
language % This translation will include all the very latest
improvements in the rule made by the French scientists,
and should be studied by every wood-workman among
us. To secure it in full, please send in your subscriptions
for the eleventh volume of this Magazine, which we can
still furnish from the commencement. Where practical,
remit in postal order, as being the safest way.
SPECIAL NOTICE TO THE TRADE.
Our friend Henry Pretzschner, of Wilmington, Dela-
ware, having leased his large Carriage Manufactory, by
the 25th of September, 1869, will sell his extensive
stock of finished and unfinished carriages, also materials
and tools, at public sale, commencing on Wednesday, Sep-
tember 22d, 1869; the sale continuing until all is sold.
This sale will be positive, without regard to weather or
under-bidding. The stock includes everything appertain-
ing to a first-class carriage factory, valued at $15,000, and
is well worth the attention of the trade. The sale will
begin with about fi/ty finished carriages of every descrip-
tion, at 10 o'clock on Wednesday, Sept. 22.
SEAT SUPPORTS.
By referring to our advertising columns, it will be
seen that the Messrs. Linton, of New Bedford, have dis-
posed of their right and interest in the "Ornamental
Malleable Iron Supports," which have been pronounced
a success, to Mr. Isaac R. Potter, of the same place. Four
qualifications recommend them to the trade—ornamenta-
tion, durability, convenience and economy. The new cir-
cular of Mr. Potter, presents us with numerous certificates
from members of the craft, recommending the Risers in
the highest terms. They may be ordered through any
dealer in carriage-materials.
OUR CHARTS.
We have in stock three Charts, numbered respectively
5, 6 and 7; the three containing over eighty designs of
approved styles. They are all of a uniform size, and may
be had by mail or otherwise for $2.25 the set. Price, sin-
gle, $1. No carriage-shop should be without them, as
they are found a valuable auxilliary in obtaining custom.
We could—were it necessary—bring numerous testimo-
nials to this fact. When we put in type the business card,
the additional expense is $2. For large quantities, we
make a great reduction from the prices named above.
Please send along your orders and receive copies by re-
turn of mail.
TRADE NEWS OF THE MONTH PAST.
One of the local Bricklayer's Unions (No. 4.) in this
city, limits the number of apprentices any one man shall
take to two, and forbids him taking " scabs" at all.
Some men have been so determined that, in the face of
the by-laws, they have taken four apprentices, and then
again, others have set fifteen or sixteen boys to work with-
out any agreement. To cap all, they employ non-society
men, " and the Union men consider their interests endan-
gered." This is awful in a free country !.... A clothing
manufacturer by the name of Sturtz, in Brooklyn, being
himself a member of the local Union, was very zealous in
having " watchers " set for his neighbors, but when such
were placed on his store, subsequently, he had them ar-
rested. " Consistency, thou art a jewel," and the consist-
ency of some Unionists is astonishing.....The Laboring
Men's Convention in Virginia City, Nevada, tells the
public that the importation of Asiatics and their employ-
ment in the mines or other fields of labor must stop, or it
will bring on an " irrepressible conflict," likely to end in
bloodshed and ruin. When shall we have peace ?----
The Tailors who have been set to watch the shops refusing
to comply with their exactions, having been threatened
with arrest, have substituted their wives for the service
instead. These, enclosed in petticoats, are not so readily
distinguished as enemies. In view of these facts, we sub-
mit the following : If it takes nine tailors to make a man,
how many women will it take to make a tailor ?.... One
year ago, when the Bricklayers struck for eight hours, an
agreement was settled with the bosses that each might
take two apprentices. The bosses afterwards complained
of the hardship of such restriction, and the workmen hav-
ing re-considered the matter afterwards, allowed an in-
crease in the number. This " liberty " has been abused,
the bosses having " arbitrarily "—this is the word used by
the workmen—increased the number since. In conse-
quence of this infringement of their rights, Union No. 2
has ordered a strike until the " tyrant bosses " reform.....
62
THE NEW YORK COACH-MAKER'S MAGAZINE.
September,
Miss Susan B. Anthony, of this city, having been elected
President of the Working Women's Union, and proposed
as the delegate to the Philadelphia Convention, in antici-
pation of such a contingency, the Engineers' Protective
Society have instructed their delegate to vote against her
admission. These engineers seem to have very little re-
gard for women's rights.....Last year, the working men
mixed up politics with unionism, and selected men of
their own choice to annul the " Conspiracy Laws " of the
State of New York, which the candidates, before the
election, promised to do, but afterwards said little about.
In fact—workmen say—the last legislature "promised
them everything, and gave them nothing." This year,
the workmen will try once more—likely with the same
result.
REVIEW OF THE MARKETS.
We hear of dull times among carriage-makers from
nearly all points of the compass, caused, it is said, by the
scarcity of money and the general declension in almost
every department of business. In consequence of this
state of affairs, manufacturers have been compelled to dis-
charge large numbers of their hands, fearing lest their
stock of carriages should accumulate, with their liabilities,
beyond the dictates of prudence and the limits of control.
Very little work is being made to order, and the reposi-
tories have not been, as a general rule, emptied with the
encouragement of former times. Sales from the reposito-
ries, in a few instances, in June were quite flattering, but
are now quite dull, almost everybody having gone out of
town to the watering places or elsewhere, as is common at
this season of the year. In former days—before our civil
war—orders from the South favored the carriage-maker
very much in his fall business. This has been cut ofF ever
since, and it is not likely—in viaw of the pov'erty of the
people in that section of the country—to revive again very
soon. We hear of a few customers from the west and
south-west, making inquiries among the repositories on
Broadway, the general complaint being that prices charged
for good work rule too high to prove profitable to them,
and that cheap work will not sell at all. In Philadelphia,
the chief relief from the dullness experienced in New
York, has been in orders from the Pacific coast for buggies
and coaches. Among our Boston friends, trade has been
somewhat better, more carriages have been sold in July
than in the corresponding month last year.. This has
given encouragement for hope that the fall months will
prove more active than usual. The velocipede manufac-
ture has entirely dropped off, and machines which last
winter brought fabulous prices, can now be had for a mere
song. Whether this is due to waning popularity, or the
sultry weather, we are unable to state decidedly. Adver-
tisers of velocipede wheels, have now all withdrawn their
favors, under the conviction that since there is no demand
for them, the machines must have about "played out."
The coming winter will no doubt settle the question defi-
nitely.
EDITORIAL CHIPS AND SHAVINGS.
The World on Wheels.—Under this title we have in
advanced preparation a general history of carriages and
customs of the various peoples with whom they have been
favorites, from the days of the Pharoahs until now. It
will probably make a large octavo volume of some five
hundred pages, with about four hundred illustrations from
the relics of Antiquity, and the work-shops of modern
times, and it will be found alike interesting to the general
reader and the carriage-builder. Our plans are not suf-
ficiently matured to fix the price—which we intend shall
not exceed five dollars—but we are ready to receive the
names of subscribers to it that we may have some data
from which to fix the number of copies printed. We only
want the names- now, and shall call for no money until
the volumes are delivered. Please send in your orders.
Eccentricities in Velocipedes.—Since the great im-
pulse given to the manufacture of velocipedes by their
universal adoption throughout Europe, innumerable im-
provements have been patented. We hear of two start-
ling novelties from France and Geneva. In France, M.
Bluin has adapted to his velocipede a pair of sails, and in
a fair wind skims along like a nautilus, a' rate exceeding
the greatest speed hitherto attained with the ordinary ve-
hicle propelled by the feet; while at Geneva, an ingeni-
ous musical box-maker has actually constructed a " velo-
cipede a niusique."
Eveners.—Our cotemporaries, The American Agricul-
turist and The Rural New Yorker, have each had several
articles lately on eveners and whiffletrees in which we
find valuable suggestions. From the Agriculturist for
August we take the following extract: " Since three
horse eveners are in such demand—says a correspon
dent—I have concluded to send a description of one that
I am using, not having seen it described in the Agri-
culturist. I take a bar of iron (l^x^) about 8 inches
long, and have a link welded in one end, and a long hook,
say 8 inches long in the other, so as to make the distance
between the centers of the holes 6 inches. Two inches from
the link I put another. When the bar is attached to the plow
it stands upright, and is attached to the plow by the link
nearest the middle, short end down. To the other link 1
fasten an evener 4f feet long by the center, for two
horses. The single horse is hitched to the upper end of
the bar. The advantages claimed for this plan are, that
the horses are nearer the plow, and the middle horse being
hitched to a single-tree, six inches above the others,
enables me to use a shorter two-horse evener than other-
wise."
Chips from the " Hub."—A new carriage factory is
building at Ansonia, Conn., which will soon be occupied
by Messrs. Styles & McKee___F. P. Wallis is building
a large carriage shop at Clinton Junction, Wis.....Messrs.
Henderson Bros., of Cambridge, intend soon to build a
large brick manufactory in place of their present one___
A new carriage factory has been erected at Calais, Me
by Wm. J. Granger and T. E. DeWolf. It is said'to be
large and commodious___The new carriage factory of
the Putnam Manufacturing Company at Bennington, Vt.
is nearly finished. It is 100 by 50 feet, and two stories
1869.
THE NEW YORK COACH-MAKER'S MAGAZINE.
63
high.... Theodore Salorgne, of St. Louis,
began the business of carriage building in
1838. The factory, which he now occupies,
was built in 1857. It is four stories high,
and has an area of two acres. His product
includes coaches, landaus, buggies, etc., and
with his present force of sixty-five hands, he
can turn out a carriage every two days....
Messrs. Carr & Allen, of Amesbury Mills,
are doing a thriving business in their new
factory, which was built last year. They
give special attention to light work, and turn
out from two hundred to three hundred car-
riages per year, most of which are taken out
by the New York and Western trade....
F. H. Randlett, of Dover, N. H,, has in-
creased his number of employees to twenty-
five. His specialty is light work, and he
turns out from fifty to seventy-five carriages
per year, and an equal number of sleighs....
In Amesbury, Mass., it is estimated that
over four thousand vehicles will be manufac-
tured during the current year.... The
carriage factory of Robinson & Brother,
in Wilmington, Del., was destroyed by fire
a few weeks ago, and they are now occupying
temporary quarters until a new factory can
be built or bought. They employ 40 to 50
hands___Francis Chapman, of Cambridge,
Mass., whose carriage factory was recently
destroyed by fire, is now rebuilding it, and
will soon have increased facilities for manu-
facturing.
When to Cut Timber.—A writer in the
Rural World says :—" I have worked in tim-
ber, and experimented as to the best time to
cut it to make it last well; and by actual ob-
servation have come to the conclusion that
from the 15th of August to the 15th of September is the best
time in the year. Timber cut then worms will not enter.
The bark will remain on for about twel ve months, and then,
when moved, fall off of itself, without any trouble. But
my brother farmers will say the season then is too hot to
labor in the timber. Admitted; but one tree cut then is
worth three cut in the winter; if a person can only
cut his timber down at this time, he is not necessitated to
then work it up, but can let it lie till the winter follow-
ing, and it will do as well as being worked at the time
when cut—and at his leisure, if it is two years after, he
can work it up.
" Hickory timber cut at this time makes good rails,
that will last nearly as well as oak. But unfortuuately
for our farmers, they are under the necessity (or do it) of
cutting all or most of their timber in the winter months ;
and timber will decay cut in those months, in this climate,
sooner than in any other month in the" year."
Central Park Carriage Drive.—The carriage drive
around the Central Park is about eight and a half miles
long, and from fifteen to sixteen hundred carriages of
all kinds enter it daily—so a policeman informs us who
has made it his business to keep count.
Old Carriages.—There are two old coaches in this
country, which have now become great curiosities. One
of these is in New York city, and is an old relic in the
PROF. BULLFROG'S NEW MUSICAL TURN-OUT.
Beekman family ; the other we last saw on storage in
Dunlap's carriage shop, in Philadelphia. This last is
reported to have once belonged to General George Wash-
ington. Both were made about the same time, and are
modeled after designs found in William Felton's Trea-
tise on Carriages and Harness, published in London, at
the close of the past century.
Straightening Timber.—A cotemporary recommends
the wetting and pressing out of timber, to save it after it
becomes warped in the stick. This would do, could it be
made to keep straight afterwards. The best way is to
prevent its warping by properly " sticking it up " while
the sap is in the timber, and letting it remain in that con-
dition until it seasons. It is a fact well known to practi-
cal men, that the toughest and best timber is the most
apt to warp. A soft brash stick will never warp, but
break very easily.
To Make a Balky Horse Draw.—In India, where a
horse can and will not draw, instead of whipping or burn-
ing him, as is frequently the practice in more civilized
countries, they quietly get a rope, and attaching it to one
of the fore feet, one or two men take hold of it, and ad-
vancing a few paces ahead of the horse, pull their best.
No matter how stubborn the animal may be, a few doses
of such treatment effect a perfect cure.
64
THE NEW YORK COACH-MAKER'S MAGAZINE. September, 1869.
The amount expended on the Government buildings
in Washington, from the time the seat of government
was located there to June 30, 1868, for public works of
every description, including buildings and works of art,
is $37,300,853.08. The grounds owned by the Govern-
ment in the District of Columbia amount to 578 acres.
Chicago gives notice that she stands ready to issue bonds
to the extent of $40,000,000, to construct Government
•buildings there, in case St. Louis hesitates to come to the
scratch.
CURRENT PRICES FOR CARRIAGE MATERIALS.
CORRECTED MONTHLY BOB THE NEW VORK COACH MAKEll's MAGAZINE.
New York, Aug. 20, 1S69.
Apron hooks and rings, per gross, §1.25 a $1.75
Axle-clips, according to length, pel- dozen, 5Uc. to 80c.
Axles, common (long stock), per lb. 8c.
Axles, plain taper, 1 in. and under, $5.50; 1J, $6.50; li, $7.50;
If, $9.50.; I-J-, $10.50.
Do. Swelled taper, 1 in. and under, $7.00; 1J-, $7.50; 1£, $8.75;
If, $10.75; U, $K3.00.
Do. Halfpat., lip. $10; l£, $11; H, $13; If, $15.50; H,$18.50.
Do. do. Homogeneous steel, g in., $11.00; |, $11; I, $12.00;
long drafts, $2.50 extra.
t2£T~ These are prices for first-class axles. Inferior class soM from $1 to $3
less.
Bands, plated rim, 3 in., $1.75; 3 ia., $2, larger sizes proportionate.
Do. Mail patent, $3.00 a $5.00.
Do. galvanized, 3£ in. and under, $1 ; larger, $1 a $2.
Bent poles, each $1.00 to $1.50.
Do. rims, extra hickory, $2.75 to $3.5